


kiss today goodbye (and point me toward tomorrow)

by thosefiveadoraburrs



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: (not really idk how to ship those), F/M, having to cope with them being moved from first place to second, i'm not even middle aged and im having a crisis so i had to take it out on my old otp, if you know what i'm referencing by describing their son and daughter-in-law u get a cookie, this is meta and niche in a way that satisfies me and me only
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-04-25 13:01:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22305307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thosefiveadoraburrs/pseuds/thosefiveadoraburrs
Summary: Now parents of the groom, Jinora and Kai look back on their youth, escorting the next generation to a new chapter of life while they transition to their own.
Relationships: Jinora/Kai (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	kiss today goodbye (and point me toward tomorrow)

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: so i used to write kainora fanfic with my best friend/now gf all the time but then our souls got sucked in by another cartoon couple and now we write for that and i've been nostalgic and emo. also might be having a quarter life crisis? enjoy.

It was a miracle that they had a quiet moment so close to the wedding. Their son had taken off to one of the chambers to get ready, his very soon to be wife most likely in the opposite chamber. A lot of liberties had been taken with marriage ceremonies between airbenders, but maybe that was a silver lining in having to redefine certain traditions. Her grandfather would have loved what they’d done with them, anyway. That was what Jinora had always thought, based on how similar they were to her parents’ wedding so long ago, and her father agreed.

She adjusted the bun atop her head, smiling when Kai wrapped his arms around her from behind, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “You look beautiful,” he said, as they both looked in the mirror. It was strange how little had changed. There was that same light in his deep green eyes, the same curl and fullness in his hair, even if it was streaked with white. Hers was, too, similar streaks of white having grown into her hair, similar to her mother’s years ago, before it had gone fully white.

“I still remember our wedding,” Jinora hummed softly.

“Yeah?” Kai grinned. “This one stir up any old feelings?”

“As if they ever left,” she smiled, turning around to face him. There were lines near his eyes now, deeper wrinkles when he smiled at her. She had them, too; little lines from furrowing her brow too often whenever she read, lines around her mouth from years of laughter. Her smile faltered as she asked, “Do you ever get the feeling that something is ending? Not for them,” she added quickly. “But… for us?”

Kai brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, the way he always had. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe I just feel old,” she said, smiling a little sadly. “I just remember when that was _us_, so clearly.”

“So do I. But why does that have to mean that something’s ending?”

She thought of her son, who had inherited her light skin and brown, wavy hair, and his father’s green eyes, standing next to his wife, a woman with a loud, earnest laugh and a sharp wit, with light hair and deep violet eyes. They were perfect together. They reminded her of herself and Kai, especially back in the day. “They’re going to grow so much together,” Jinora finally said. “They’re going to achieve their dreams together, find and chase new ones, start a family, figure out each iteration of who they’ll become. It feels like… it’s _their _story, now.”

“It might be,” Kai agreed. “But ours doesn’t end here. We’re not anywhere close to death,” he said with a slight grin, “spirits willing. We’ll have our own story while they begin theirs. Maybe it’s not as exciting as the whole newlywed, new parents thing we did. But this next chapter of our lives is going to be amazing, too. We can still find new dreams. We’ll keep learning something new. Hopefully they’ll give us grandkids.” His smile grew when Jinora chuckled. “See? Our story isn’t over. We’re just…passing on the torch. To two people we love dearly, who deserve the world.”

“You’re right.” She took his hand and squeezed it gently. Both their hands were beginning to age, the joints protruding slightly and age spots speckling up Kai’s wrist. Their fingers still fit perfectly together. “Ready?”

“Ready.” They walked out of their room and into the light of the courtyard, seats already in place for the ceremony. The sun shone with the light of a new day, and their eyes looked ahead.


End file.
